DEA Reschedules Cannabis-Derived Medicine Epidiolex

The Drug Enforcement Administration has rescheduled the cannabidiol medication Epidiolex, allowing manufacturer GW Pharmaceuticals to begin selling the drug in the United States. The DEA did not, however, reschedule CBD itself nor other products made with the cannabinoid. Epidiolex is the first medication derived directly from cannabis to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

The DEA placed Epidiolex in Schedule 5, the least restrictive class under the Controlled Substances Act, indicating the drug has an accepted medical use and a low potential for abuse. Cannabidiol and other CBD formulations continue to be listed under Schedule 1, a classification ostensibly reserved for drugs with no medical value and a high potential for abuse.

New Drug Approved In June

In June, Epidiolex was approved by the FDA as a treatment for Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) and Dravet syndrome. The two debilitating forms of childhood epilepsy can cause dozens or even hundreds of seizures per day and often cannot be treated successfully with other medications.

Justin Gover, the CEO of GW Pharmaceuticals, said in a press release that the action by the DEA will allow patients access to an entirely new class of epilepsy drugs.